Learn About the Law
Get help with your legal needs
FindLaw’s Learn About the Law features thousands of informational articles to help you understand your options. And if you’re ready to hire an attorney, find one in your area who can help.
CHRISTOPHER B. STEG; CAYLA B. STEG, Plaintiffs - Appellants, v. JAMES H. JOHNSON; CONRAD BOYD STURGES, III; DAVIS, STURGES AND TOMLINSON, Lawyers; BETTY LYNN CURRIN; BETTY JOHNSON; KIMBERLY J. ROGERS; ROGERS AND ROGERS, Lawyers; AMY J. PERALTA; RANDOLPH A. BASKERVILLE; J. HENRY BANKS; CAROLINE S. BURNETTE; SAMUEL B. CURRIN, III, Defendants - Appellees.
Christopher and Cayla Steg appeal the district court's order dismissing their civil action. We have reviewed the record and find no reversible error.1 The district court properly dismissed the 42 U.S.C. § 1983 (2012) claim on the grounds that the defendants were immune from such claims, see Stump v. Sparkman, 435 U.S. 349, 356-57 (1978) (judges entitled to absolute immunity unless acing in “clear absence of jurisdiction”); Dababnah v. Keller-Burnside, 208 F.3d 467, 470 (4th Cir. 2000) (“A prosecutor enjoys absolute immunity for prosecutorial functions intimately associated with the judicial phase of the criminal process.” (internal quotation marks omitted)); Fleming v. Asbill, 42 F.3d 886, 889 (4th Cir. 1994) (guardians ad litem immune from § 1983 claims for actions “occurr[ing] within the judicial process”), or were not acting under color of state law. Additionally, the court correctly rejected federal civil conspiracy claim and did not err in declining to exercise supplemental jurisdiction over the state law claims. Accordingly, we affirm.
We dispense with oral argument because the facts and legal contentions are adequately presented in the materials before this court and argument would not aid the decisional process.
AFFIRMED
FOOTNOTES
1. After the district court issued its order and judgment, which relied in part on the Rooker-Feldman doctrine, we issued an opinion clarifying the narrow scope of the doctrine. Thanav. Bd. of License Commissioners for Charles Cty., Md., 827 F.3d 314 (4th Cir. 2016). However, because the district court provided alternate and sufficient bases for rejecting all of the Stegs' claims, we find it unnecessary to consider whether the court's Rooker-Feldman analysis is in line with Thana.
PER CURIAM:
Thank you for your feedback!
A free source of state and federal court opinions, state laws, and the United States Code. For more information about the legal concepts addressed by these cases and statutes visit FindLaw's Learn About the Law.
Docket No: No. 16-1654
Decided: October 03, 2016
Court: United States Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit.
Search our directory by legal issue
Enter information in one or both fields (Required)
Harness the power of our directory with your own profile. Select the button below to sign up.
Learn more about FindLaw’s newsletters, including our terms of use and privacy policy.
Get help with your legal needs
FindLaw’s Learn About the Law features thousands of informational articles to help you understand your options. And if you’re ready to hire an attorney, find one in your area who can help.
Search our directory by legal issue
Enter information in one or both fields (Required)